Wednesday, February 19, 2014

4 slain, 1 hurt in Basilan ambush

Two members of the government militia and two civilians were killed,
while another was wounded in an ambush reportedly triggered by a clan
war in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan Monday afternoon.

Village councilman Kasuyan Murang and Habir Callitut, both members of
the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit, along with Wahid and Husin
Upisalin, both sons of a militiaman, were on their way home when armed
men waylaid them in the village of Bohe Lebong at about 3:40 p.m.

The name of the wounded victim was not available as of press time.

“The incident was triggered by rido (clan war),” said Capt. Ma.
Rowena Muyuella, spokesperson for the Western Mindanao Command
(Westmincom).

The military said the victims, all of Barangay Bohe Tambak, were
followers of Commander Mongon Agama, while the attackers were said to
belong to a group led by Commander Bazir of Barangay Bakisung in Albarka
town.

Reports said the attackers escaped after beheading two of the
victims. Muyuella said they have yet to verify the report. She said
soldiers have been deployed to the ambush site to retrieve the bodies of
the victims and to avert a spillover of fighting between the two
warring clans.

The military and local government officials have been working to settle the dispute between the two warring clans.

Meanwhile in Abra, four soldiers were wounded in a brief encounter
with suspected New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas at the boundary of
Barangays Baay-Liccuan and Lacub Monday.

The military said the soldiers were responding to reports about the
alleged presence of rebels in the village of Lenneng, when the encounter
broke out.

Although the Procopio Tauro Front of the NPA operating in Abra
claimed that two troopers were killed in the incident, police director
Senior Superintendent Benjamin Lusad said the soldiers were only
wounded.

Diego Wadagan, spokesperson for the NPA in Abra, said they launched
an ambush after they monitored the movement of the government troopers.

The attack, Wadagan said, was meant to foil the second phase of the
militay’s Oplan Bayanihan in the province and as punitive action against
the soldiers of the 41st IB.